My horses compete on the BC Barrel Racers and Rodeo circuits and Stacy's massage therapy has been helping my horses perform to their best potential. I recommend Stacy to anyone wishing to optimize their horse's health.

Angelica Rother

Assessment - Making sure your horse gets the proper treatment

General assessment includes:

A series of physical exams to figure out the best approach or combination of treatments
to be used on a particular horse.

The assessment usually goes as follows:

• Questions on horses history and health
• Observing the horse walk, trot and possibly lope in different directions

Head and Neck

• Palpating the head and jaw to rule out for any teeth issues that may affect the horse movement or attitude
• Series of range of motion tests on the upper and lower cervical
• Asking horse to bend neck around to show any stiffness in poll, neck or rib areas
• Spring test on vertebrae to feel for restrictions
• Palpate surrounding muscles

Shoulders and front legs

• Protracting and retracting the front legs indicates any stiff/sore muscles when horse has limited • range of motion
• Flex all the joints
• Abduct and adduct gently to feel for shoulder or muscle restrictions
• Examine hoofs to see how they are wearing

Back

• Spring test along the spine, apply pressure in different areas to see how horse reacts.
This displays any back soreness, skeletal or muscular
• Palpate the ribs

Hips

• Apply pressure to the point of the hip on both sides to see how the horse reacts
• Protract / retract hind legs
• Palpate hind muscles
• Examine hoofs
• Flex all the joints

When I am finished gathering all the information I will put together a treatment protocol.
I may combine chiropractics with massage or acupressure with herbs or use three or four therapys combined together. I then may discuss nutrition options or herbs that may also aid in the healing process.